I was recently looking through my stats the other day to see what things I was doing that were working and bringing traffic, and of course what weren’t. I was pleasantly surprised to find that participating in the Secret Recipe Club had done wonders for my traffic. In addition, I’ve met such wonderful people, made friends and found some great food blogs.
I just thought I’d take a moment to look back starting at the beginning of my participation in Secret Recipe Club. It’s fun to see what I was blogging back then, and which recipes I chose. I am also throwing in the couple of times I have done orphan rescue for a blog that had their person flake out on them. Because in my mind, they count.
July 18, 2011
My First Post For SRC – July Reveal
Assigned Blog: Bright Morning Stars Foodie (looks like she’s not blogging anymore)
Title: Warm, Huggy, Gooey Quintiple Brownies
August 16, 2011
August Orphan Rescue
Assigned Blog: Connor’s Cooking
Title: Rigatoni with Bacon and Asparagus
August 22, 2011
2nd Month of SRC – August Reveal
Assigned Blog: Mom’s Crazy Cooking (and now she’s a real life friend!!)
Title: Homemade Lasagna, Poor Man’s Garlic Bread & Chocolate Camping Cake
September 19, 2011
3rd Month of SRC – September Reveal
Assigned Blog: Living Lou
Title: Rosemary Thyme Chicken Breasts
October 17, 2011
4th Month of SRC – October Reveal
Assigned Blog: The Jey of Cooking
Title: Spicy Honey Brushed Chicken & Veggies
October 24, 2011
October Orphan Rescue
Assigned Blog: The Mommy Bowl
Title: Chocolate Banana Brownies (Nut-Free, Grain-free, Vegan, Sugar-Free)
November 14, 2011
5th Month of SRC – November Reveal
Assigned Blog: Secrets from the Cookie Princess
Title: Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Brownies
December 12, 2011
6th Month of SRC – December Reveal
Assigned Blog: Debbi Does Dinner
Title: Southwestern Chicken Wraps
February 27, 2012
7th Month of SRC – February Reveal (SRC shut down for Christmas)
Assigned Blog: Koreafornian Cooking
Title: Curry Movie Popcorn
.jpg "A Year of Secret Recipe Club (15+) Recipes")
March 26, 2012
8th Month of SRC – March Reveal
Assigned Blog: So Tasty, So Yummy
Title: Cheesy Chicken Tortilla Cups
.jpg "A Year of Secret Recipe Club (15+) Recipes")
April 30, 2012
9th Month of SRC – April Reveal
Assigned Blog: Cooking Whims
Title: Bacon Egg Muffins Cups
.jpg "A Year of Secret Recipe Club (15+) Recipes")
May 28, 2012
10th Month of SRC – May Reveal
Assigned Blog: Chocolate and Chilis
Title: Sugar Donut Muffins
.jpg "A Year of Secret Recipe Club (15+) Recipes")
June 25, 2012
11th Month of SRC – June Reveal
Assigned Blog: Oh! You Cook!
Title: Caramel Apple Muffins
July 09, 2012
12th Month of SRC – July Reveal
Assigned Blog: Cook Book of Trial and Error
Title: Raspberry Rolls
.jpg "A Year of Secret Recipe Club (15+) Recipes")
July 31, 2012
July Orphan Rescue
Assigned Blog: The Saucy Gourmet
Title: Watermelon Mango Salad with a Coconut Lime Dressing
.jpg "A Year of Secret Recipe Club (15+) Recipes")
August 06, 2012
13th Month of SRC – August Reveal
Assigned Blog: Edesias Notebook
Title: Peach Melba Smoothies
August 13, 2012
August Orphan Rescue
Assigned Blog: Miz Helen’s Country Cottage
Title:Raspberry Mango Muffins
.jpg "A Year of Secret Recipe Club (15+) Recipes")
August 13, 2012
August Orphan Rescue (yes, another!)
Assigned Blog: Close to Home
Title: Rocky Top Brownies (Peanut Butter and Brownies)
.jpg "A Year of Secret Recipe Club (15+) Recipes")
Since I started in July of 2011, I haven’t missed a single month and I don’t plan to either. I am often asked by others why I continue to participate. Depending on the time, my answers vary widely. Here are my top reasons I love Secret Recipe Club and will continue participating.
- I love meeting new people. Secret Recipe Club affords me the opportunity not only to meet someone new every month, but also new people stop by my blog and I stop by theirs each month. I love it!
- There are so many food blogs out there, it’s hard to find them all. I love that SRC allows me to find new ones all the time!
- Why do I have a food blog? Because I love to cook. I love getting to make something every month that I’ve never made before.
- On Monday’s for each groups reveal, it is fairly easy to find dozens of recipes you’d like to try.
- It’s fun keeping a secret each month and selecting something to make off of the assigned blog.
- It’s fun finding out who had me each month, and what they picked to try from my blog.
- I love being able to help others. I hate that during the month, there are often stranded bloggers “orphans” who had a partner who forgot about them. I very much enjoy stepping up to take a recipe on that blog and yes, even last minute, and yes even more than one in a day.
- I love going to Google Images and typing in ‘secret recipe club’ and seeing 11, 800, 000 results come up and then drooling over all of the yummy Secret Recipe Club Recipes and Photos.
- I love the support and the comments my fellow SRC members leave on my blog. It’s fun to see who likes what, and who has tried what.
- The volunteers who help run SRC are undeniably some of the nicest, most supportive and helpful people involved in any group I am a part of. Thank you guys for a great year and here’s to another one!
Nicole Cook
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Lovely post, Nicole! I started SRC the same month you did. I really love it too and wouldn’t give up my spot for anything! It is so much fun and I can never understand how people get orphaned because SRC is priority #1 on my blogging “to-do” list. It really was a brilliant idea that Amanda had and I’m not surprised it has become so popular. Here’s to many more months of secret recipes!
What a generous spirit you have! It is lovely to be in 2 blogging groups with you (SRC and #SS)!
I’ve met so many neat bloggers via the SRC. Sometimes it takes being assigned to really take a good look at all that one blog can offer! Fun idea for a SRC round up